Stacey Elsenpeter, of Andover, got the Ellen DeGeneres treatment in a segment that aired today when the show surprised Elsenpeter, a single mom who participated in a parent-kidney exchange to find a match for her son, Zach, who was born with kidney failure.

Stacey wasn’t a match to donate a kidney to her son, so she donated a kidney to a stranger, instead. Three years later, a stranger donated a kidney to Zach.

Elsepeter held a blood drive in 2015 to “give back” to the community, she said, because blood products kept her son alive until a kidney could be found.

Zach’s father donated his kidney in 2004 — when Zach was 11 months old — but the kidney failed when he was 5.

About the blogger

Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts. He was senior editor of news in the ’90s, ran MPR’s political unit, created the MPR News regional website, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started the two most popular blogs in the history of MPR and every day laments that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.

NewsCut is a blog featuring observations about the news. It provides a forum for an online discussion and debate about events that might not typically make the front page. NewsCut posts are not news stories but reflections , observations, and debate.